In late 2011 the Fire District initiated the process for the design of a replacement facility for Fire Station 16 (FS 16) in Lafayette at the present location on Los Arabis Road. At that time, the station was comprised of a small residential style fire station built in the 1950's that was abandoned shortly after the Loma Prieta Earthquake. Subsequent to the closure, a double-wide mobile home was used for the crew living quarters.
Approximately $3 million was appropriated for the replacement of FS 16. In 2012, due to budget shortfalls and the eventual closure of FS 16, the project was placed on an indefinite hold. The funds were then designated to be used to fund the Fire District’s contribution towards the building of Fire Station 46 (FS 46), a joint project with the Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District. When the FS 46 project was dissolved, the Fire District determined the most appropriate solution for the community of West Lafayette and for the overall service of the Fire District was to rebuild FS 16.
New site plans have been developed, engineers and contractors have surveyed the site and the existing fire station structure, and multiple analyses have been performed to determine the feasibility of reconstruction, remodel of the existing structure, or tear down and rebuild from the ground up. While it is possible to re-use the existing fire station structure, it was determined that the value of that structure is very low to the overall project and the cost to provide the required code upgrades and seismic retrofits would outweigh the utility of rehabilitating the old structure.
The new station would be built to include modern seismic standards as well as being able to meet ADA requirements. The station would be built to provide protection for the community over the next fifty years and would allow for the facility to provide personnel with the components, systems, and features found in a modern fire station.
On behalf of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, the Public Works Department requested Statements of Qualifications ("SOQs") for architectural services for Contra Costa County Fire Protection District fire station design projects, including the rebuilding of Fire Station 16. The Public Works Department received 18 SOQ's from interested firms and 5 firms were shortlisted. A selection committee comprised of County and Fire District staff conducted interviews and ranked the short-listed firms. Loving Campos Associates Architects, Inc. (LCA) was one of the top ranking firms. It is recommended that LCA be awarded the agreement for the subject project.
If the agreement is not approved, a new fire station would not be constructed. Response into the areas of West Lafayette would continue to be provided by Fire Station 15 in eastern Lafayette with automatic aid provided by Fire Station 43 of the Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District which is located in Orinda. Delays in construction, if FS 16 is to be rebuilt in the near future, could increase construction costs significantly based on the recent, and expected, trends in overall costs of constructing essential use facilities.